Chronicles of a Wilde Wedding
by she-dies-at-the-end
Summary: An anthology of stories and events that transpired before the big wedding between Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. From wedding dances to wedding dresses. All the planning and all the preparation to make this a wedding to remember.
1. Aruarian Dance

**A/N**

 **Fair warning going in, as the description says this isn't a complete story. It's an anthology centered around a much anticipated event with the stories connected in no particular order. They just follow the themes of our duo getting married and the struggles and stories behind working their way up to the big day. It's fluffy, but there's some thinkin' behind it. Or I hope there is.**

 **I'll add to it as stories come to mind, but don't expect consistent updates. Most of these were written for my good friend, paintkettle. Thanks for the inspiration, man, and I attribute these stories to you.**

* * *

"A list of things to do before the wedding?" Nick asked with some surprise.

The fox and the bunny had just started their lunch break together while on duty. An hour or so to find some grub on the hot summer day in mid-July.

Judy was thankful the cruiser had air conditioning as they waited in line for Bug Burga's serving window. She hesitated passing over her legal pad with two hundred and one ideas of what she wanted to do before getting married. And counting.

"It's kinda like a bucket list," she explained, feeling her ears go slightly red. "I know most people are exaggerating when they say your life is over when you get married. But I still thought it'd be fun to do with you before things get crazy."

"Well, we certainly have time. Spring's not for awhile."

Her parents had insisted on having the ceremony when everything was in full bloom in the burrows. Judy was hard pressed to deny them that, at the very least. She didn't very much mind where or when the wedding would take place so long as it happened with her family's blessing. She was going to be the first Hopps to ever marry a fox, after all.

Judy smiled at that thought as she fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger.

"There's a lot to do besides all this," she said knowingly. "But I still wanted to have some fun too and not make it all serious. Like we're adults or something."

"We _are_ adults, Carrots."

"Well, _you_ sure don't act like it sometimes."

"I'm also not the one playing keep away with the list like she's a high schooler with her diary. Come on, I'm curious. Let me see it."

Judy rolled her eyes and passed her partner the legal pad as the line for the window moved up some. She turned to the wheel while Nick turned the pages.

Nick chuckled as he ran a claw to each bullet.

"Climb to the top of the highest building in Zootopia...Pull an all nighter for fun...Find the best coffee in the city—Oh, I like that one."

"Figured you would."

The list went on and on. Most were simple things, like wanting to try shopping in Little Rodentia or eating an entire Jumbo Pop in a single sitting. Ice skating in Tundratown when winter arrived was a particular highlight on the lineup for her. It wasn't like getting married was ever going to prevent them from doing those things together. But Judy liked making lists and it was a fun way to pass the time while they waited for the big day the next year.

And some of the things on the list she hadn't done since she had first come to Zootopia.

"...Find the record shop," Nick's voice lingered on item ninety nine. "What's the record shop?"

"Oh," Judy's ear fluttered slightly as they were next in line. "It's silly. On one of the first days I was here, I just stumbled into this cool record shop while I was struggling to find my way home. It was a small place, very independent. Had a lot of neat vinyls I liked. But when I tried to find it the next day I couldn't recall where it was."

Nick chuckled. "Well, you're lucky I know everyone. What was the name of the place?"

"I don't remember…"

He nodded, knowingly. "Alright then. Do you remember who owned it or who worked there?"

"No...I remember there wasn't anyone at the counter when I was there. That was why I didn't end up buying anything."

Nick kept quiet for a moment. "Well, do you at least remember what it looked like? Out front or otherwise?"

It was like trying to remember a fading dream.

"It feels so long ago," said Judy. "But there was a big glass window tinted blue. And all the records were stored in those plastic milk cartons and separated with newspaper. The entire building had this weird pungent smell."

"Sulfur in the pipes?"

"Maybe," Judy rubbed at her nose. "They say smell is the biggest trigger to memory."

"It is," Nick agreed with a nod, his eyes shut as if trying to place the memory himself. "And I think I know the exact place you're talking about now."

Judy smiled as she watched her partner scan his memory banks, as she had seen many times before. Nick was never exaggerating when he said he knew everyone in the city. Over the years together, Judy had come to realize that his relationships with people were like the branches of a tree. He would know someone, who would then know three other mammals Nick would be introduced to. And they would know five other mammals. And so on and so on.

The uber mammal memory scanning routine was different this time around though.

Nick's brow furrowed as he opened his eyes, making the same face he'd have if his zipper got caught in something.

"...Odd," he muttered. "I have the exact vision of the place, like you do. But, for the life of me, I can't remember the name. Or how to get to it."

Judy gave a slight frown before shrugging it off. "Then maybe we both dreamed it existed. Can't expect to remember everything, slick."

Nick didn't have a witty retort for her and kept silent as they approached the fast food joint's window.

He continued to stay quiet as Judy passed him his bag of hash browns and tofu burger, while she enjoyed something off the prey menu. Teriyaki grilled carrots. They parked in the nearby lot to dig in.

As she unwrapped her treat, she paused for a moment when she realized Nick hadn't even touched his own bag yet.

"It really bothers you?" she asked.

Nick jolted slightly, as if Judy's words had woken him from sleep, before slouching into the seat.

"More my pride," he replied. "It's part of my thing, you know. Knowing everyone. Dashing good looks, smarm, fast-talking, and having connections to everyone in the city. Those are the ingredients that make up Nick Wilde."

"I'd say there's more to him than that."

"It's how I've always been," Nick continued. "Knowing people is just one of those things I took pride in myself. And if I can't help you with something little like this, what good am I going to be to you as your future husband?"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Judy nudged him on the side of his arm. "You do more than enough for me, silly. Besides, I wasn't really expecting to complete every little thing on the list."

"Well, I still owe it to myself to find this dinky little shop for you. It'd soil my pristine reputation otherwise. Now sit up. We're switching."

Judy didn't even have a moment to take a bite of her lunch before Nick rose from his seat and scooted her with his paw, practically forcing her out the door. She had to grasp the wheel before he pushed her out the window.

"Hey, hey, hey!" she replied, making her stand. "You don't get to drive."

"Why not?"

"Besides you not passing a basic driver's test in the academy to handle one of these things? The last time I saw you in control of a vehicle, you backed it into a lampost."

"The lampost was asking for it. I got my tongue stuck to it in winter once."

"Petty revenge is not appropriate behavior for an officer of the ZPD."

Nick let out a content sigh. Their back-and-forth fake argument could continue on for hours, if they both had a mind for it. But he knew as well as she did that they had less than an hour before they were back on duty. With that in mind, he showed a rare moment of humility and admitted defeat.

"Fine, fine. You can drive there. But we're probably going to get lost a few times on the way."

Judy tried to ignore her lunch on the floor of the cruiser as she shifted the gears into drive.

* * *

"The most likely place is along Armstrong and Mercury Street," Nick explained. "There's a lot of music shops there, so it's a fine place to start. At the very least, it might jog either of our memories."

Judy nodded along as they turned into the downtown area.

There were some mammals that called the downtown districts the true face of Zootopia. There was no polish or glamor, like in Savannah Central. Just honest brick buildings established almost a hundred years ago, in some cases. At best, the downtown area had an old-fashioned charm to it like something out of a movie based in the 1940's. At worst, the abandoned factories and condemned apartment buildings had been left to be claimed by vines and overgrowth.

Nick had told her he had grown up in the area once. He pointed out the shop his father formerly owned, Suitopia. Now it was owned by a thick layer of moss and ferns, courtesy of the nearby Rainforest district.

Thankfully, they were far enough away from the bad memories to remain focused on the task at paw.

The cruiser slowed to a crawl as Nick gestured to stop just around the corner of the two streets, stopping at the space for five minute parking. His tail was a flutter with excitement.

Judy, however, was more reserved.

"Nick," she said sweetly. "I don't think I've been here before. I don't remember any of the sights around this neighborhood."

"Let's just wait and see," he replied, calmly and confident.

And so, they parked in the first open spot they could find, with the downtown being emptied from mammals on their way to eat lunch. The district they were in didn't look to have any restaurants available, much to the disappointment of Judy's growling gut.

As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, Nick kept his nose pointed in the air like he could smell the store while Judy followed his tail closely behind. Keeping pace with his longer strides reminded her of the time when they first met and she had tried to nail him for a long list of potential wrongdoings.

He stopped suddenly, as if he had picked up the scent and sharply turned to what was across the street.

"That's it."

Nick had taken a pose like he was the opening act to a great performance, extending his arms and bowing low with a smile stretched across his face.

Judy glanced at the large window before them and read the name of the establishment outloud.

"Sharp Regrets?"

It sounded like a pretentious store for pretentious people. Even the mammals loitering around outside looked like what Clawhauser would call music hipsters with their braided fur and baggy clothes. The sort of store that didn't sell vinyls because of the crisper sound quality but because it was what was presently in fashion with the more obscure crowd.

"This is the first place I can think of that has a big window out front that sells old-fashioned records," Nick explained. "Maybe the smell we remember was all the hemp that gets used by the patrons. Or something."

"Or something," Judy repeated, shaking her head. "Nick, this isn't it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Judy went quiet for a moment. "I haven't been in the area before. I remember that clearly enough because it was a little after I confronted you about your pawsicle scam. When I was depressed and in a rut."

"Ah."

Nick went silent again.

Chief Bogo had made it very clear to the two that public displays of affection were not allowed while on the clock. Even if they were engaged to be married. But Judy didn't see the harm in offering some comfort to Nick by grabbing at his paw.

"It wasn't all you," she assured him. "The meter maid business had been getting to me. I had been delaying going home after work all the time because being stuck in that old shoebox of an apartment was starting to make me stir crazy. So, I had taken to wandering around the city when my shift was up. You know. Trying to find the good in it."

Nick thought for a minute before he huffed through his nose and smiled. Then he squeezed her paw in return before releasing it.

"I'm going to guess you didn't have much luck, Carrots."

"Well, the record place certainly helped. I hadn't ever heard the kind of stuff they were playing on the stereo before. In the burrows there's only pop songs and country on the radios."

"Indie stuff then, huh?"

Judy shrugged. "Instrumental. No vocals at all. All calm and smoothing, but still faintly upsetting. Like a summer's day at the end of August. You know it can't last forever and the end's in sight."

"And still you try to grab onto the little somethings that remind you of it."

Nick closed his eyes as if he could hear the same tune Judy had a couple of years ago.

He only opened them again when Judy's churning stomach reminded them of the spilled Bug Burga bags still sitting on the floor of their parked cruiser. The cruiser that was going to technically become illegally parked in just a few seconds.

Nick smiled again.

"Come on then. I may know another place we can check out in Savannah Central. But if we don't feed you soon those tasty preservatives in our food are going to turn it into rocks."

Judy pressed at her navel, as if doing so would give her the power to silence hunger pains.

"Very salty rocks," she smirked. "We still have half an hour before we need to get back to it. Let's find the shop. Lunch can wait."

* * *

It was when Judy realized they had circled the same street corner with the same nameless hobo carrying the same tin cans in the same shopping cart four times in a row that she finally thought to ask the question.

"So...Where _are_ we going, exactly?"

"Oh, you know...One of the shops around here."

"Uh huh. And do you happen to know where said shop is?"

"Well...I figured since the police station is in Savannah Central, the record shop would be somewhere around here. I guessed it was only a matter of retracing your steps."

"You don't think I tried that already? I've gone home every which way long before you became my partner, slick. Still, I found it impossible to go back to exactly where I was before."

Nick did another one of his odd silences before speaking again.

"Maybe two looking would make it easier to find again?"

He didn't sound nearly so sure as he had before. Enough to cause Judy to frown.

"Nick...You don't need to know everyone and everything in the city to make me happy. The effort is more than enough."

"Thanks. But that's not entirely it, Carrots."

Judy recognized that tone of voice and frowned before putting their vehicle into park at the very edge of the corner, with the emergency lights going.

"What's wrong? You've been moody all lunch."

Nick cracked a slight smile. "Nothing gets by you. Does it, Officer Hopps?"

"Not with you. Nope."

Nick let out a sigh that was laced with more than just sadness.

"I'm just being nostalgic, I suppose. If that's the right word for it. There's gotta be a better way to describe it. This little distraction has gotten me thinking. Everything's about to change, isn't it?"

Judy opened her mouth to deny him, but felt the ring on her finger.

"That's not a bad thing," Nick continued. "Things change all the time and it's only natural. But I think you feel it too, right? With this list you made, I mean. We're both trying to hold onto the stuff we think we might lose soon. Even if it's a silly thought. You can always climb the tallest building in the city after all or make finding the perfect coffee a weekend project. Still, things are changing. _We're_ changing."

"You're worried that we're going to end up changing too much when we're married?"

"I think I've already changed if I can no longer remember the name of a simple music shop. I'm slipping a bit. It's like..."

Nick thought for a moment before speaking again.

"...Know what the worst thing that can happen to you on the streets is?"

"What?" Judy responded, feeling as if she was being asked a riddle.

"To be forgotten. It's the same as being ignored, in a sense. In a city with millions of mammals all in one place, you have to fight for attention. It's so easy to lose yourself in the crowds. Even remembering a name means so much to some people."

From a long relationship together, Judy knew to put her paw on her partner's leg to comfort him. Nick returned the gesture with his own paw on top of hers. Again, she didn't care who might be watching.

"It's one of the things I made it a point to learn early on," he said with a smirk. "Memorizing names so I wouldn't forget that there's mammals behind them. Respect and all that. It just always felt like the higher you were above the crowds, the less you saw the people. And I never wanted to be a person like that."

Judy huffed a slight laugh. "I seem to recall you forgetting my name at the DMV that one time."

Nick chuckled in return. "I didn't say I was perfect at it. And I seem to recall you giving me a very hard time back then and I was spiteing you for it."

Then the two went silent for a moment, lost in the memories of each other's eyes, before Judy decided to put the cruiser in drive again and peel out.

"I can't promise everything's going to stay the same, Nick. But that doesn't mean you have to feel bad about what does change. We don't like to think about it, but everything does come to an end. Eventually."

"Eventually," Nick repeated with a shrug. "You're right, of course. But I'm still going to pout about it though. And as long as I get to stick with you as things change, I can deal with it."

"Good," Judy nodded in satisfaction as the car rolled to a stop at the light. "Come on. Let's get back to the station. Maybe microwaving our lunch might make it passingly edible."

Nick glanced to Judy out of the corner of his eye. Then he did a double take.

"Hey, Carrots."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"Love you too, slick."

"Also. I found the record shop."

* * *

As it turned out, the record store had a name that was so bland that anyone would have trouble remembering it, or even finding it in the phone book. Central Records. That almost made it sound like a storage building for files and documents. Hiding in plain sight, where it always was.

But it was exactly how Judy remembered it. From the slight stench of sulfur in the air to the big blue window with paint flecks on its edges. Even outside were the several tables of milk cartons filled to the brim with vinyls and newspaper.

"Well," Judy said, making a map marker on her phone for the store as well as checking the time. "We got ten minutes until we're supposed to be back on duty. We can come back later after our shift."

"In a moment," said Nick, his tail fluttering around as he dug through the nearest crate. "Bogo won't notice if we're a few minutes late. And after all the trouble we went through to find this stupid shop, I want at least a souvenir before the building stands up and crawls away again."

"Is that what happened then? It crawled away from us?"

"But of course. How else can you explain the blemish on my perfect memory record?"

Judy's rolling eyes did enough to hide her smile as her fiance continued to search through the music.

"They have some good stuff here," Nick added. "A little bit of the old and a little bit of the new. Helloooo. What do we have here?"

Judy's nose detected the scent of musky, damp paper before Nick slid the record out from the box. It was by an artist she didn't recognize. A calming azure cover under a lizard reaching for the sun.

"You said you liked the instrumental stuff?" he asked her. "Ever hear of this guy?"

Judy shook her head.

"Let's give it a play then. You can tell me what you think."

She wasn't able to argue against Nick much as he guided her to the counter, where the record players were. After some quick bantering with the shop owner, they managed to secure a turntable and listened to the vinyl.

A relaxing beat overtook the air, of a soft guitar riff and hip-hop beats as percussion. Gentle like a waltz set in blue. Or velvet for the ears. Judy was never sure when it was going to end, but she enjoyed every moment of it all the same. An aruarian dance.

And that was how they found the song they'd first dance to as a married couple.


	2. A Spot of Sunshine

**A/N Taking a few liberties with one of the characters that briefly appeared in the comics, Violet Hopps. Take that as you will!**

* * *

It was one of those days where everything seemed to go wrong.

By the time the first dance had rolled around, it was hard to call the wedding of the daughter of Bonnie and Stewart Hopps anything but a disaster. The party had witnessed a literal cavalcade of mammal catastrophe from the moment the ceremony began until beyond the vows. A cascading events that stacked up one after the other. And the night was still young.

First there was the bride's grandfather.

Needless to say, he hadn't been informed just on who his granddaughter would be marrying that evening. Pop-Pop only made the connection when he saw half of the church filled with predators. When he made the run for the altar, everyone was too afraid to stop him out of fear that they'd end up hurting him. It was by the groom's luck, and Gideon Grey's bad luck, that Pop-Pop confused the two and hit Gideon with his cane. It took four other rabbits just to pry him away from the scene and pacify him in the corner by breaking into the reception bar early. But not before he knocked over the table for all the prey dishes.

Then there was the reception itself.

Apparently, it was a brilliant idea to keep everything predator and prey food related separate. The caterers had only managed to spare the predator main courses, meaning pizzas had to be ordered to satisfy fifty percent of the wedding party. And the cake...Oh, goodness the cake. Wrong flavor (spice cake, not carrot cake). Wrong icing (strawberry, not blueberry). Even the figurehead on the cake itself was wrong. Someone had to run out to the store and buy a rabbit bride figurine, despite the bride's assurances that it was fine.

After everything, everyone hoped that the dance would go without a hitch.

And the first dance with the newly married couple went fine. For a time. The song played without problems and the bride and groom were beautiful together. The father/daughter dance though is where disaster struck. Mr. Hopps got food poisoning from the ordered pizzas and spent most of the time in the bathroom, leaving the dance up to Mrs. Hopps instead. That wasn't even counting the fact that there was no mother around for the groom during the son/mother dance.

By the end of it, Judy was so worn out that she felt like she needed a vacation.

And she wasn't even the one who had gotten married.

"You're going to a burn a hole through the bottom of that glass by staring at it, Carrots."

Judy rarely drank. Only when she was feeling comfortable around her family. And with Nick. It was some concoction made of fermented dandelions and lemons.

It wasn't like she had been guzzling a keg of vodka. Just a little more than usual. Enough to cause a slight buzzing in her ears. Or her head. It was a little hard to tell with her stewing in the corner of the reception hall. Everything pounding in time with the beat of the music. Nick had her drink water to offset the imbalance. That helped, though the slow falling down from being a little tipsy meant she had to think again.

Next to her at the bar, Nick was smiling whilst drinking his own creation of something strong enough to peel the paint off the wall while they watched the rest of the party on the dance floor. He was her only company besides the beaver barkeeper.

"This is rare form for you," said Nick. "I get it's a wedding, but I thought you were going to reserve yourself for that 'try everything at the pub' item on your bucket list. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing," she muttered in response. "Just felt like drinking was all."

"Uh huh."

"What? I'm not allowed to let loose a little?"

"You letting loose is like me being sincere with someone. Either you're being genuine in your claim and want to have a good time or…"

Judy raised an eye as his voice trailed. "...Or?"

Nick went quiet for a long time and finished his drink in one sip. Then he placed the empty glass next to Judy's mug on the counter and shrugged.

"I like to think I have a good read on you if something's bugging you at this point. Especially when it's going to be us down the aisle next. But if you don't want to talk about it, I get it. The whole 'family wedding' scene is new to me too."

Judy grunted. The initial buzz was starting to wear down.

It wasn't that she didn't want to talk about it. Especially with Nick. Just she wasn't even sure what she was feeling.

It was certainly not jealousy for her sister Violet, who was now happily married with her wolf, Adam, and dancing on the dance floor. Judy had been to many sibling's weddings before. And it was Judy's engagement with Nick that inspired Violet to come clean with their parents, after all, and sped forward in her own relationship. Once again, Judy Hopps was blazing trails for the rest of the Hopps clan.

No. Judy was happy for Violet and her husband. There wasn't a jealous bone in her body. Not when the new couple looked so happy together, like a spot of sunshine. But that was where the feelings came from.

"I'm worried about them," she muttered.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah. Do they look happy to you?"

Nick gave one of those stares Judy had seen him give many a perp during an interrogation. Rapidly analyzing the mammal in question to establish a mental profile for them. She swore she could hear something akin to an old internet dial up sound as he finished inspecting her sister and brother-in-law.

"Yep," he answered. "Definitely happy. You don't think so?"

"I don't know," Judy replied. "I just know Vivi. She's like me in a lot of ways. Doesn't like to show others when something's bothering her."

"So, you don't think she's happy with her new hubby?"

"Oh, no. That's not what I meant at all. I mean...Adam's got an interesting personality that I didn't see her as a match for. But I could say the same for me and you."

"Ouch. I'm so glad I'm such a catch for you."

"You know what I mean," Judy smirked and pushed Nick slightly with her elbow. "They're good for each other. They complement one another. They're going to do great together after today. But it's today that I'm talking about."

"Not sure I follow then."

"It's just…"

She grunted again. This was the part that was hard to explain without sounding like a jerk. With no way to put it gently, she sighed heavily and went for blunt honesty instead.

"This wedding was a complete and utter disaster."

Nick chuckled. "Jeez, Carrots. Tell us how you really feel."

"I'm serious. Vivi worked so hard on this for months and months. We all did. Then everything that is completely out of her control just ends up happening on the day that it really matters. It's like the universe decided to completely mess with her at the worst possible time."

"Call me crazy, but isn't that how weddings are supposed to go?"

"But that's not fair. It's gonna be hard enough for them being one of the only predator and prey couples in the burrow. Why'd their wedding have to be so complicated?"

Nick looked like he had found the TV remote between the cushions of the sofa. "Ahhh…"

"Don't you 'ahhh' me. This is giving me a headache…"

"Well, that's what happens when you're two feet tall and consume something with 100-proof alcohol in it. You know? The kind of drink that's meant for large predators?"

"That thing was 100-proof?" That bit of knowledge suddenly made Judy's stomach churn. "But it was a pretty drink called Sunshine."

"The prettiest things often have the biggest kick to them," he smirked. "You gonna be okay?"

"Water," Judy muttered as she bowled over, clutching her temples. "I need more water."

While Judy tended to her swimming head, Nick turned his attention to the beaver barkeeper behind him.

Among rabbits, Judy was far from a lightweight. But that was only among rabbits. A pint had a whole different meaning for someone of her height. Given that they were at a rabbit wedding, she thought she would be safe with the most unsuspecting drink on the menu.

"Seriously," she grumbled, annoyed with her dry throat and pounding head. "Who would name a drink like that 'Sunshine?'"

"Your new brother-in-law, apparently," Nick said as he returned with her water.

As he handed her the glass, Nick pointed across the dance floor to the groom wolf, tall and dark but sporting Judy's same fruity drink. Given Adam's gruff exterior, black fur and black tuxedo, it was jarring to see him laughing like the happiest mammal on the planet with Violet around his arms. Even after everything that had happened to pause the wedding that evening, neither of them ever stopped smiling.

Judy's eyes trailed to Violet next. Looking beautiful, as always. With her wedding dress, the effect seemed enhanced threefold. She was most certainly the brightest star in the room, even though her dress almost hadn't been ready in time for the ceremony. Their mother had spent the hours leading up to the wedding in the back with a sewing kit to finish the hems, left undone by the tailor who had gotten the date wrong. Another thing that had caused problems.

Violet's perfect purple eyes wandered to the right. Judy watched her mutter something to her husband before excusing herself from the dance floor. Then Judy followed suit after downing her entire glass of water.

"Bathroom," she said before passing Nick her empty mug.

She pretended not to hear Nick's commentary on rabbit's having tiny bladders as she waddled past doting relatives of rabbits and predators alike. Her family had just gotten a lot bigger in more ways than one. And it was harder to avoid being stepped on while slightly tipsy.

Judy somehow made it to the restroom unfettered to find it empty save for Violet at the sink. She was scrubbing some spilled wine out of her sleeve. So much for saving the dress.

"Hey, Jude," Violet's ears perked instantly when she noticed her sister in the mirror. "Great party, huh? You two seem to be having fun."

Had Judy been stone cold sober, she might not have missed Violet's commentary had to do with Judy's slight stumble and winced expression like she was fighting a headache.

Judy wasn't nearly out of it to not know to put on a smile and straighten up though.

"Oh, sure. Nick and I are having a great, uh, a great time."

"Uh huh. I'm starting to get flashbacks of your eighteenth birthday party. Something about 'vodka witches' or some nonsense."

"Don't remind me...We're having a good time, Vivi. How about you though?"

"Never been better," her sister beamed with the biggest smile Judy had ever seen.

Violet could have done a summersault or leapt five feet into the air and, still, Judy would not have believed her. Not out of any malice, of course. But Judy knew what it was like to put up a brave face for the sake of appearances.

"Really?"

"Really really."

"But...What about the wedding cake?"

"It still tasted good."

"What about the thing with Pop-Pop and dad getting food poisoning?"

"These things happen."

"The flower girl wasn't even a girl! She got sick and they had to replace her with Albert's son at the last minute."

"Well, no one's perfect. And he was still cute in that dress."

"I just," Judy stammered. "Doesn't any of that bother you? At all?"

Violet shrugged. "Just so long as everyone's together and happy, that's all that matters to me."

"But it's your wedding day. Your special day. What about you? How do you feel about it? Shouldn't it have gone perfectly for you?"

The rest of the Hopps clan always said how much Judy and Violet were alike. Both had their mother's purple eyes and grey fur. Both strived to make the world a better place, with Judy as a police officer and Violet as a doctor's nurse. Both having significant others of the predator variety. Both the same level of stubbornness that carried over to the same types of smiles in the face of concerned friends and family. Violet had decided she was going to enjoy the day, and she was going to do just that. No matter what. Her smirk told Judy that much.

"It's a wedding, Jude. You know how it goes. Remember? Everything goes wrong at a wedding."

One didn't live with a family of three hundred siblings without having been to a few weddings. Judy had even been the flower girl herself on the occasion for a couple of her older sisters.

"Think back for a minute," continued Violet. "Remember Beatrice's wedding with her jackrabbit husband Gunter?"

Judy winced at the instant flood of memories following a day spent with the entire Hopps family on the nearest beach. During hurricane season.

"I remember them saying their vows in forty mile an hour winds."

"And then the poor mole rat minister almost blew away off into the ocean if he hadn't landed on dad's face, standing next to the altar."

They both laughed at that memory, which was easily the worst wedding either of them had ever attended. And even still everyone saw it through.

"It could have been worse," said Violet. "A lot worse. But I had fun and everyone will have some stories to tell years later. That matters more than just one day where a few things don't go our way, doesn't it?"

"I guess...But this just feels so much more important to me than the other weddings."

"Ouch," Violet chuckled. "Don't let anyone else hear you say that."

"I know, I know. We're not supposed to have favorites. I just...I want to see you happy, Vivi. I want to make sure you have the best wedding you can possibly get."

"And I appreciate the concern. But you don't have to worry about me. We're doing great."

"Well, then is there something I can do for you? Anything? Anything at all?"

Violet covered her eyes with her paw, but never lost her smile. "Guess it's safe to say you take after dad the most in personality. No, Jude. The only thing I want is for you to try and enjoy yourself. No more sulking around the bar, okay?"

"I was not sulking at the bar."

"Uh huh. Just trust me, we're fine. I might have been freaking out this morning, but I got over it. We already went through this whole conversation with mom. She walked me through the pre-wed ceremony and that made everything better."

Judy raised an eye. "Mom? Pre-wed? What does that mean?"

For the first time all day, Violet looked genuinely horrified.

"Nothing. It means nothing."

Pre-wed was a term that Judy hadn't even heard before, and her last three months with Nick had been spent studying the very intricate process of preparing a wedding. Even though they were nowhere close to ready for their ceremony in April, Judy liked to think that they had a handle on any surprises that would be thrown their way.

"Look," Violet said, physically pushing Judy out of the bathroom. "Just go out there and have a good time."

"But—"

"The bride demands it."

Judy scowled. That was one rule of a wedding that she couldn't protest. The bride got whatever she wanted, no questions asked. Judy could only accept her defeat as she was forcibly removed from the restroom. Violet was sure to lock herself inside until she could be certain Judy had wandered off. That or she'd slip out of the window in the back.

Dejected, but not beaten, Judy stumbled back out into the party to find her fox.

Perhaps in an effort to also get her away from the bar, Nick had left his seat to join in talking with Gideon Grey across the dance floor. His back was turned to her as if to say, 'Go on and socialize a bit, Carrots. No more drinking for you.' Though even dazed as Judy was, she could feel Nick's eyes on her when she turned around.

Judy huffed at her pretend conversation with her fiance and stumbled her way through the crowd of bunnies and wolves alike.

Everyone had taken to dancing and drinking the troubles of the day away. When during the ceremony, predator and prey had sat at separate pews, now the party had meshed together in a colorful array of both big and small mammals. It was a sight that Judy Hopps never thought she'd see. The Hopps clan happy and comfortable around preds. And here I thought *I'd* have to be the one to break that trope. If it wasn't for her returning headache, she'd might actually get to enjoy the party.

While Judy tended her pounding head off to the side of the water closets, another rabbit slipped out of the men's room.

"Feeling okay, Jude? You're not getting sick too, are you?"

Judy's ears perked at the voice every single member of the Hopps family knew too well. The concerned tone of their mother.

"I'm fine, mom," Judy replied. "Just too much to drink. How's dad?"

Her mother flinched. "Let's just say we're thankful that the church has such clean facilities. He'll be fine. You know how he is around onions. One bite will put him out of commission for the night. And I did try to warn him that Edgardo's is known for putting them in their veggie pizzas. He's always been the type to jump in feet first though. And it was his idea for ordering the pizzas to try and make everything better after the mess with the food."

"And what happened to Pop-Pop?"

"Oh, I had a long talk with him after the scene he made, for what good it did. I must have told him a thousand times just who Violet would be marrying. But he couldn't remember Violet's own name much less what Adam looked like. He's passed out on some chair in the lobby now."

"Too much to drink?"

"He's from a family of miners, Jude. He grew up with stronger stuff. It's just finally past his bedtime, so he passed out."

Like an overgrown child. Looking closer, Judy noticed that her mother was wincing and grasping her own head with the din of the party around them. Though it was a horrible thought, there was some relief in knowing that Judy wasn't the only one who wasn't on the train to Happytown.

The two rabbits made their way to their own quiet section of the party. Outside, to the last spot of sunshine before the coming evening.

"I suppose I should have known better," her mother muttered. "He pulled nearly the same stunt at our wedding too."

"Pop-Pop?" asked Judy. "With you and dad? Why would he do that?"

"Same reasons as with Violet and Adam. He did not approve of the matchup. I'm sure we've told you the stories before of when we started dating, haven't we?"

Judy knew all about how her father and mother had disobeyed Pop-Pop's commands and continued seeing each other. In some sense, Judy found herself relating to those old stories when she and Nick started dating. But that was its own adventure and it all worked out in the end. Even with Violet and her own husband, whom had started dating and eloped all within one year. Judy couldn't help feel she and Nick had soften her parents for that kind of change. Though Pop-Pop continued to be stubborn, as always.

It was enough that Judy couldn't help but wonder just how long Pop-Pop's constant disapprovals had been going on in their family.

Outside the church, the sun was hanging low over the parking lot. There was a row of vehicles, in all shapes and sizes, going on with the burrows beyond the simple steeple at the top of a small hill. The abbey was the one location in all the burrows which Violet thought was the most beautiful, with the autumn leaves in the few trees scattered about the landscape just on the cusp of changing. Soon it would be winter. And then the new year.

Judy was still feeling the effects of the alcohol, and that didn't help with her loose tongue.

"Did you have a pre-wed too?"

Upon realizing what she had blurted out, Judy's ears hung slightly back as she glanced to her mother out of the corner of her eye. Her body was less tense when her mother laughed.

"Violet went and told you about that, huh?"

"She let it slip," Judy admitted. "But she didn't tell me the details. What is it, exactly?"

"A little tradition your father and I have kept up since we were married. It's a bit of a secret to calm your nerves on the big day, when just about everything can go wrong. We made it a rule to only tell our children about to be married so it doesn't ruin the surprise for the little ones when they come of age. And we ask everyone else to keep it quiet, even if they decide not to do it."

That explained why Judy had never heard of it before. A secret family tradition.

"We usually save it for a week before the wedding day," her mother continued with a smile. "When the stress is really starting to kick in. I've seen my share of weddings for my children. And my share of divorces, more than I'd like. But like I told you before, when you brought him home, you and Nick have one of the more stronger bonds. You two won't be splitting up any time soon. So, I don't see the harm in telling you about it now, if you'd like."

It took all Judy's self control to not scream out "YES" in her mother's face. Her curious nature had gotten her in trouble on several occasions before. But, then again, she and Nick might have never gotten together if she wasn't inquisitive.

"Sure, I'd like to know."

"I'll bet you would," her mother grinned knowingly. "It was your father's idea, actually. Bumbling as he can be, he's a sweet rabbit and can be quite intuitive when he has the mind to be. You take after him in that regard. We knew Pop-Pop was going to cause a scene at the wedding. He had been voicing his disapproval all through the engagement. So, while I was panicking in the back of the church hours before the wedding, your father stopped by my room to see me."

"Isn't that bad luck?"

"I said the same thing. Still, he insisted and I told him about everything. All the worries I had on how dreadful the day was going to be. My fears about how everything was probably going to go wrong. They just came pouring out. And he listened to every one of them. Your father has always been a good listener too. But I didn't expect him to actually do anything about it."

Judy's mother spoke as if she had told the tale a hundred times before and was reciting it like a favorite bedtime story.

"That's when he proposed the pre-wed idea to me. We went down to the minister and he asked for us to be married in that hour. Before the ceremony in the church."

"You mean you two got married before the actual wedding?"

"It was beautiful," continued her mother. "It was just the two of us, including the priest, out in the garden behind the church. We said our vows and eloped before anyone even noticed we were gone. No crazy relatives. No problems with the dishes. No stress. Even though almost everything fell apart in the actual wedding—I remember telling you all about your uncle Terry falling into the cake—It didn't matter. The most important part of the ceremony for us had already been taken care of and we didn't care what happened for the rest of it. We were married before I even walked down the aisle."

Judy's fuzzy brain did little to hold true to her pride as a top detective in ZPD. "So, wait, then that means that…"

"Yes. Most weddings you've been to in the family have just been the ceremony with the actual wedding having happened hours beforehand. Not everyone decides to do it, of course. But we've all found it very relieving and have kept the secret going save for those already married. You'll see next spring. It can be quite refreshing knowing that the most important part is done and dusted before the hassle of the actual ceremony. Picture it. Just the two of you, the minister, and the couple's parents. Under the fresh bloom of the new flowers budding."

Even Judy had to admit it was an appealing image. Seeing her handsome husband under a cherry blossom tree. Though it was soured by the thought of guilt that would follow.

"But...But what about everyone else at the party? All the rest of your family and friends. They came there to see you."

"They came to see a ceremony," her mother shrugged. "You're not taking anything away from them. But the wedding is for you. It's your special day and you should be happy about it. Not stressed or panicking at the prospect of what you think could go wrong in the backroom of the church. That's why your father and I did it. That's why Violet and Adam did it."

Judy's frown was contrasted by her mother's reassuring smile. She patted Judy on the head, like she used to when she was a little girl, between both ears.

"No one will force you to do it when the time comes. Like with everything about that day, it's your wedding and your choice. Whatever you two decide, I'm proud of both of you. It's going to be a very special day that I will look forward to and treasure forever."

What that morning seemed like was only in a couple of days suddenly felt years away for Judy, as she thought about her impending wedding. That and how woefully unprepared she and Nick were, even with her mother's reassurances.

"I'm going to go check on your father again," she said, turning to the door. "Gonna be okay out here?"

"Yeah. I just need some air for a bit longer. "Thanks, mom."

Her mother gave another knowing smile before disappearing back into the church.

Judy eventually took a seat on the brick of the building stairs, looking out over the parking lot at the fading sunlight. It was just cool enough that there weren't any bugs out, but not freezing enough to require a jacket. The sunset provided all the warmth Judy could need. Though, if she was being honest with herself, she could have used something more.

"There you are," said Nick as he peered his head through the door. "I thought I saw you disappear out here. I was worried you might have passed out without me."

"Without you?" Judy raised an ear and smirked. "Gideon is that boring to talk to?"

"I would think he'd be in the same boat as us, actually, given how exhausting the day's been. Ready to nap and all that. He had some choice words with the caterer for mucking up the cake though. Promised that when it's our turn, he'll be putting extra effort into getting it right with the trust we're putting in for him."

That comment made Judy genuinely laugh as Nick took his seat next to her. She immediately pressed herself against his arm and nuzzled his shoulder.

"Hey now," Nick replied with his own grin. "Are we in the 'I love everything and everyone' part of a night of drinking already?"

"Just feeling affectionate," Judy replied. "Mom was just telling me wedding stories. And I had a talk with Violet about the ceremony."

"An eventful evening for you then. I hope it was a productive talk."

"Kinda," Judy shrugged and slumped into Nick's arm. "I just kept thinking that I could protect her. You know? That it was my job to make sure Violet could have the best possible day imaginable. I was so miserable the whole ceremony, watching it all come apart like that. And I was powerless to do anything about it. I thought that she was just putting on a brave face. So, I thought I was going to have to comfort her about it in the bathroom…"

Judy's voice trailed, like the gears in her head had begun to turn. Or that she had finally sobered up.

"But she didn't need that at all," she continued. "She had taken care of herself and was genuinely happy with how things went. Even though she was the first Hopps to marry a predator, nothing about the ceremony mattered. She had already gotten the most important part done ahead of time. And nothing bothered her about it at all. I just…"

Judy looked down at her feet.

"...I see this being like our wedding."

Next to her Nick was smiling from ear to ear. "Is that right?"

Judy recognized his tone. That smug 'I'm two steps ahead of you' voice he put on as a hustler from time to time.

"You knew?"

"Sorry," Nick corrected himself. "I didn't want to patronize you by pointing it out back there. Your worries about our wedding are my worries too, after all. But it's hard not to see the comparison between you and my new sister-in-law. And our respective weddings."

And it was hard not to blush at that comment. Judy dropped her ears back to hide their redness. Being read like an open book again.

"I, uh, I was just a little nervous. I was afraid that things would go horribly wrong for our actual wedding, like I thought they were going for Violet."

Nick gave her a knowing nod and then paused. "You're using past tense there. You feel better about it now?"

This time, Judy was the one to grin. "Like I said, talking to mom and Violet helped. And I know something you don't about weddings from my conversations with them, smart fox."

It was simple enough to tell when Nick was curious about something. If his tail twitch didn't give it away, it was in the way his tone of voice tried to sound as unassuming as possible. He's pretty easy to read too.

"And that would be…?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Nick eyes raised at her snappy retort before he pouted slightly. "Going to hold it over me then, are you?"

"Maybe for a little while. Call it my revenge for patronizing me earlier. You can make it up to me by being my pillow while I get rid of this headache. Then maybe I'll consider telling you all about a pre-wed."

"A pre-wed, huh?"

"No more hints. You're clever enough to work it out on your own, anyway. Now shush. Pillows don't talk."

Judy would tell him later, of course. A pre-wed was too good an idea to not bring up and discuss with whatever future plans they had in store for the actual wedding. Months from that point. Two seasons away into the bloom of spring. In the new year. Judy knew that the panic would start to set in sometime in winter as things came down to the wire and problems arose.

But, for that moment, there was the two of them. Resting in a spot of sunshine and waiting for that big day to come for them next. In some ways, it felt so close. In others, it couldn't come quick enough.

Though, with Nick at her side, Judy could face it all the same.


End file.
